MLA Formatting: Common Errors and How to Avoid Them

Introduction

MLA (Modern Language Association) format is standard in humanities disciplines—especially literature, languages, and composition. While simpler than some other styles, MLA has specific rules that students often overlook. This quick guide covers the most common formatting errors and how to fix them.

Basic MLA Format

The Header

Your paper should have:

• 1-inch margins (all sides)
• Double-spaced text
• 12-point standard font (Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri)
• Header in the upper right corner with your last name and page number

Correct:

Your Last Name 1

Your Name
Professor's Name
Course Number
15 September 2023

The Role of Symbolism in The Great Gatsby

The Title

• Centered on its own line below the date
• Regular font (not bold, not underlined)
• Capitalize major words (title case)
• No period after the title

Correct: "The Role of Symbolism in The Great Gatsby"

Wrong: "The Role Of Symbolism In The Great Gatsby." (All caps, period)

In-Text Citations

MLA uses parenthetical citations with the author's last name and page number.

Author and Page Number

Correct: "According to Smith, Gatsby's green light represents unattainable dreams (87)."

Wrong: "According to Smith, Gatsby's green light represents unattainable dreams (p. 87)." (Don't use "p." in MLA)

Direct Quote

Always include page number for quotes.

Correct: "Fitzgerald writes, 'So we beat on, boats against the current' (180)."

No Author

Use the work title (shortened if necessary).

Correct: ("The American Dream" 45)

Multiple Authors

Two authors: (Smith and Brown 78)

Three or more: (Smith et al. 78)

Works Cited Page

The Works Cited page lists all sources you cited. Here are the most common entry formats:

Book

Format:

Author(s). Title of Book. Publisher, Year.

Example:

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Scribner, 1925.

Journal Article

Format:

Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. number, no. number, Year, pp. XX–XX.

Example:

Chen, Michael. "Symbolism in Modern Literature." Journal of Literary Studies, vol. 45, no. 3, 2021, pp. 234–256.

Website

Format:

Author(s). "Title of Page." Website Title, Publisher, Date Accessed, URL.

Example:

Harvard University. "How to Cite Sources." Accessed 15 Mar. 2023, guides.library.harvard.edu.

Anthology or Edited Collection

Format:

Author(s). "Title of Piece." Title of Collection, edited by Editor Name, Publisher, Year, pp. XX–XX.

Example:

Morrison, Toni. "Unspeakable Things Unspoken." The Norton Anthology of American Literature, edited by Nina Baym, W.W. Norton, 1998, pp. 2802–2818.

Common MLA Errors

Error 1: Wrong Page Number Format

Wrong: pp. 234-256 (uses "pp." for page range)

Correct: pp. 234–56 (uses en dash, second page shortened to last two digits)

Error 2: Missing Punctuation in Citations

Wrong:

Smith, John. The Title Of The Book Penguin Books 2020.

Correct:

Smith, John. The Title of the Book. Penguin Books, 2020.

Comma after author, period after title, comma after publisher

Error 3: Inconsistent Capitalization in Titles

Wrong: The great gatsby (all lowercase)

Correct: The Great Gatsby (title case)

Rule: Capitalize first and last words and all major words. Don't capitalize articles (a, an, the) or prepositions unless they're the first word.

Error 4: Wrong Source Order

Works Cited entries should be alphabetized by author's last name.

Wrong:

• Smith, John. ...
• Brown, Sarah. ...
• Williams, Michael. ...

Correct:

• Brown, Sarah. ...
• Smith, John. ...
• Williams, Michael. ...

Error 5: Missing Hanging Indent

Wrong:

Smith, John. The Title of the Book. Penguin Books, 2020.
Brown, Sarah. Another Title. Oxford University, 2019.

Correct:

Smith, John. The Title of the Book. Penguin Books, 2020.
    Brown, Sarah. Another Title. Oxford University, 2019.

Quick Checklist

Conclusion

MLA formatting is straightforward once you know the rules. The most common errors—forgetting page numbers, using "p." instead of just the number, and forgetting hanging indents—are easily corrected. Use this guide as your reference, and you'll format your papers correctly every time.

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